Magic of Flowers, Fate, Friendship, and Frost (Year 1)
by Just-the-Usual-Crowd
Summary: The story of beginnings, where Rapunzel, Merida, Hiccup and Jack meets to create the first interhouse friendship ever. ROTBTD, Hogwarts AU
1. Chapter 1- The Letter Recievers

**CHAPTER ONE**

[July 24th]

"Merida, get down from there!"

She dove head first onto the ground in front of her mother, Queen Elinor, and pulled her broom up right before she hits the ground. She's been practicing that trick for a while now, not like her family would appreciate the achievement.

"Young lady, you're a mess!" said Elinor, pulling off an elegant nose-wrinkle at Merida's windblown hair and dirt crusted dress. After an adventure over the crown's tooth and under the fire falls, who gives a thought about your appearance? Although her hair—the red curly hair can now be a nest comfy enough for a—a... large bird. Bird vocab wasn't Merida's forte.

"Oh," was what Merida simply said, trying to end this spontaneous lecture as soon as possible, as she still had a few things planned for herself in the daylight.

"You're letter's here. I thought you might want to see—"

"It's here?" She squealed like a fangirl. "Omigodomagerdholycrap," she raced past her mom into the dining table, where the house elves always dumped the letter-of-the-day.

She shifted through the pile of letters looking for the letter addressed to her:

Ms M Dunbroch

Bedroom up the stairs

Agrabah Kingdom, Scotland

Merida was a slow reader, and when dinner was delivered by Maudie the house elf, she still hadn't finished the letter. She reached for a chicken leg, skimming through the list of equipment—she knew where to get them all, of course- and she froze. Her shoulders sagged. Her eyes bugged out. Her mouth dropped open in mid-chew, while the triplets ew'd at the gross lumps of meat in her mouth.

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS**

**ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.**

"No no no nonononono please," she whimpered.

"Sorry," said Fergus. Merida didn't notice when her family sat down at the table. "Hogwarts wouldn't let 11 year olds have their own stick 'cause half of them are just gonna pretend they're horsies and hit each other over their heads."

"But Da', but I love ma broomstick! Angus has been wi' me for so long, it's knows my touch perfectly, I've even made personal adjustments to it, I clean it every nigh', and I've even named it."

"Merida, stop being so dramatic," her mom pinched her lips together. "The school broomsticks works also. You won't be joining the team anyway, you're there to learn—

Merida's eyes widened. "Mom, it's in my blood—"

"Don't talk to me about blood. You have the blood of pure royalty and wizardry, and you will act like a lady," the queen paused for effect. "And you won't be joining Dumbledore's Army either, not until your fifth year."

"No Mom, listen! Dueling and flying is my everything, you can't take both!" This time she didn't let her mom interrupt. "I've been flying since I was small, I'm the best dueler in the kingdom, you're ruining my life!"

She got her wand from her dad on her 6th birthday, for he wanted to train her in dueling; the ministry doesn't detect underage magic in this area anyway, since it's one of the biggest gathering of witches and wizards.

And then Mrs I'm-the-queen proceeds to say, "...And Merida, at least put your broomstick on the floor instead of the dining table. A lady does not—"

Yet another comment with the word 'lady', and it made a vein pop. Merida stood up from the table and ran to her room, but not before she doubled back and grabbed another chicken leg.

_Well, she can't stop me. I'll be away from her anyway._ Merida thought. _I'll make sure to do everything she doesn't want me to; call it what you want, puberty, whatever._

And that was Merida's first goal at Hogwarts.

* * *

[2 days later]

"Rapunzel, just get out with it. You know I hate the mumbling."

"It's just that, um, I got a letter when you were on your trip."

Gothel stopped mid comb. Rapunzel had just finished singing and Gothel was finishing up in her newly refreshed, young skin. Gothel's mind was racing through her list of contacts as to who the sender might be. Rapunzel shouldn't be getting letters. Only friend she has is the lizard!

"Mom?"

"Let me see it." Her mother's voice was quick and sharp.

Rapunzel handed it to her mother. It was a yellowed envelope with elegant handwriting that Rapunzel planned to write like one day. On the cover, it said:

Ms R

The circular bedroom

Tower, Little Valley

Gothel recognized it right away. She wasn't a witch for nothing, although she went to Beauxbatons. "I knew this day would come, but not this soon. My flower's growing up so fast, 11 already aren't you," she said to herself under her breath. She snatched the letter from her grasp.

"Have you read it?" Her mother's face was unreadable from the backlight of the fireplace's slick flames.

Rapunzel played twisted a piece of hair on her shoulder. "Yes, actually. It seems pretty cool— I mean, I really want—"

"No."

"Sorry?" Rapunzel looked deflated.

"I said no. Stop talking about this, you know why you can't."

Of course she knew why. Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals, snakes, the plague, large bugs, men with pointy teeth. If you gave her mom a year to list all the dangers outside, she would use up every second of it.

"Mother knows best, flower. You won't survive a day out there," said her mom, Gothel, in pouting way that adults speak to toddlers. "Do me a favour, Punzie?"

"Yes, ma?"

"Never ask to go outside again," and with that, she tossed the letter in the fire right behind her.

When she went to her room, she felt like this is the part where she should be feeling sorry for herself, but something whispered to her not to cry; something had planted a thought in her mind that it would work itself out; something gripped her instincts and said this is only the beginning of her life.

And it was.

Over the small course of 3 days, the letters had been largely produced and tried to get in the tower with every chance by any means. It hid in Mother Gothel's poofy hair; it strapped itself onto Pascal's back when he was sleeping; a bunch of them burst in through the chimney like a cloud of bees.

At first gothel was adamant about not letting her flower go. Rapunzel was, quite literally, her life. But soon the letter irked her, for Gothel was easily infuriated. She wanted them to buzz off but knew fighting back was futile for she understood how Hogwarts enrolls their students. She couldn't as well as move locations to shake the letters off; the tower was the best hiding place she ever found.

Gothel was at the edge of giving up, she just needed one more little push. Rapunzel saw the chance and stepped in. She presented a well-written speech that she had prepared for days: about wanting to "find the origins" and "expand the uses" of her magical hair. Rapunzel knew Mother Gothel always loved her hair and, if she hadn't known better, it would look like Mother was hungry for her hair.

"Okay, okay my flower, I get it. I guess it's an okay, just come back to the tower and visit me every weekend and sing a little for me alright? I'll get the tower hooked up with the flu system. Please just keep you and your stupid hair safe."

So then Rapunzel made an oath to herself that she would do anything she can to learn more about her magical hairs. She did promise her caring mother, after all. She wasn't about to let go of the hard earned opportunity to know herself.

And that was Rapunzel's first goal at Hogwarts.

* * *

[1 week later]

"Hiccup! Get your bum out here!"

"Coming—! Ouch."

He bumped his 11 year old head at the door frame, and stumbled through the hallways. From the bottom of the staircase, he could see a man. A big man, even taller than even his dad, which is saying something. The masculinity of his beard was alike his dad's again, although Stoick's is ginger and tied while the stanger's is wild and dark.

"'S this Hiccup?" said the man, peering at the stairs, eyes adjusting to the dimness in the house. Hiccup moved out from the shadows hesitantly.

"Of course yeh are! Yer just like yer mom 'cept yeh got yer dad's eyes." Then he corrected himself, "I mean, a much more masculine version of your mom, 'course." The friendly man looked just like Santa Claus except one that you would find in a _pub_ instead. "Yer mother was jolly and kind like a grandma, but she was anything put that. She lived the tale and died like the book."

Hiccup was fascinated; his dad didn't like to talk about the wife he lost. He imagined himself with long hair—wasn't hard to picture with his girly features and stature—who kills dragons and tells stories to little kids in front of the fireplaces. "You know her?"

"Hah! Lots in common too! Extremely brave with animals."

"Er, d'you like a chair?" Stoick cut through the conversation politely. Standing next to each other, they looked like they were in for a bodybuilder contest, but the giant looked jolly and shabby while his dad was fierce and dressed up.

"Nah, I'll break all of its legs. Name's Hagrid, by the way. Oh and on that note, yer a wizard. Speaking of which, I'm doing this job much more frequently now since Minerva would only scare the poor muggleborns. Have I told yeh how I delivered the news to Harry Potter?" Seeing the shocked look on Hiccup's face, he added: "Yes. _The_ Harry Potter."

"I'm a _whaa_?" Hiccup gasped.

For a moment, Hagrid just repeated after him, confused. "Yer a what? What are ya talkin'— oh, a wizard! Yer a wizard o'course! Yeh got magic inside yer veins! Yeh'd be going to Hogwarts, it's this mighty big castle. Shouldn't yeh got a letter already?"

Hiccup remembered a letter he's gotten a few weeks prior. He had been afraid to open it, for letters from outside of Berk were so rare, it usually meant bad news. The letter had an antique air and was in fancy stationery, but what made him nervous was the words of the cover:

Mr H Haddock

Bedroom of the 2nd floor

Berk, Netherlands

He definitely did not tell any rich families where he slept, and it was too much to take for his 11 year old brain, so he put the letter away and hoped it wasn't that important. He turned to Hagrid.

"I'm magical? But I can't be! I can't even stand up straight around a dragon!"

"Dragons? Crickey, I'd like a dragon."

"You'd like a _dragon_?"

"Of course. Beautiful, vastly misunderstood creatures."

Hiccup decided Hagrid was out of his mind. He was unsure whether he wanted to go there if it was full of dragon-worshipping cults.

Seeing the alarmed look on Hiccup's face, Hagrid started to protest, obviously offended for his precious dragons. But Stoick had a sudden realization and drowned out his voice."That school! I know it! Your mother went to WogHarts and she's the greatest warrior I ever knew. She said she was what - she was sorted into the bravest house, 'LionsDoor' or 'GriffinFence' or whatever. I'm sure you'll follow her path."

"Now now. Don't pressure your kid about houses, that is so Wizarding War II. Every house is great in its own ways, even," he pulled a face, "Slytherin."

If Hiccup couldn't shine in his village, he would have to aim for excellence even more in Hogwarts. If he decides to go, he will make sure to earn the best marks and make the best friends he could ever find.

And that was Hiccup's first goal in Hogwarts.

* * *

[1 month later]

"Awhh Jack."

"Shut up Tooth. I'm starting to regret this."

"You look like a midget, mate. Ne'er thought a few years would make such a difference," said Bunny.

Jack glowered at him from under his oversized hogwarts robes; he didn't say anything because his voice sounded unmanly and young. Being stuck as a teen forever was bad enough, but now he's in an 11 year old body by an age potion.

_Approximately a month after the whole fiasco with pitch, Jack was "abducted" by two of North's yetis and back into his office. The 4 guardians gathered around him, while he told them what he's been up to. Said something along the lines of every guardian needing magical education, at least a year or two, then smacked down an impressive looking letter sealed with the letter "H":_

Mr J Frost

Tree over the lake

Burgess, United States

_Jack stood up to it for a while, since he's _Jack_, all that argument about no responsibilities, no confinement. But his human memories are coming back. He had wanted to learn magic once upon a time:_

Jack went to a magic show on his sister's birthday; the magician's hand moving in bird-like movements, a serene smile pasted on his face, back stock-straight and heels together. Oh yeah, and his sister's gleeful laugh at every colourful trick. That was why magic was special to him.

_The elves spent a few months brewing a special potion, right there in front of the globe. The potion is one that lasts longer than the textbook version, one that will wear off along with normal aging time, therefore giving an illusion of growing. The potion was a secret recipe of Tooth's, since she's the guardian of memories and time and all._

"'ello, Jack? End flashback pleese," said North impatiently. Even sandy was tapping his foot.

"Sorry what?"

Sandy flew right up to his face and did a clutter of sand images above his head.

"Yeah yeah, I'll only bring snow at night. Okay I get it, only flying at night too. Seriously, why won't you trust me? I won't let them know!"

Sandy raised an eyebrow while Bunny appeared beside him. "No, sandy's right. You have ta get used to people being able to see you and all your weird shite, man. Remember, if they believe in magic, they'll believe in you. They'd be freaked if they knew the seasonal spirits they study in class is now studying with them, especially one as ugly as you."

Jack rolled his eyes. Bunny can't be concerned of someone without a side dish of a lame insult. "Can you guys stop your pep talks already? Gotta get to my train. I'm blaming it on North for my long journey. Seriously dude? Why England? Just because you have a friend teaching there—"

"How about viz—" interjected North.

"—No sleighs either. I'll just enjoy my last bit of freedom. See you around. I'll visit you guys on Christmas, Easter or just whenever I can help out 'kay?"

Jack, along with his luggage, was then lifted by a gust of wind, higher and higher, out of one of the pentagonal windows. At the last minute, North called out to him.

"Jack?"

"What."

"Don't fall in ze love 'kay?"

"Of course. Not with a 11 year old."

Jack decided to just go there for a month or so, whine all day to North, then get out there was fast as he can.

And that was Jack's first goal at Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2- The All Aboarders

**A/N:**

**This takes place after the Harry Potter series (including the Epilogue), but it is before all the BigFour movies except Jack's.**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

[September 1st]

Rapunzel stood up dizzily and followed her mother. This is the second time she's side-apparated. Scratch that, this is the second time she's been out of her 80ft3 circle her whole life. The first time, she threw up at the side of Diagon Alley, followed by several mood swings of paranoia and elation. On the same day, she had also bought some incredible textbooks, met a nice boy in the robes shop, and freaked poor Mr. Ollivander out with Pascal sneaking onto his shoulder.

"Flower, we're here."

Rapunzel nearly walked past her mother in her thoughts. She doubled back and they stared at the brick wall together.

"Is this the wall I'm supposed to ram my head into? I really—"

"Wait what?" said a voice behind them.

Rapunzel and Gothel turned around. With 4 eyes on him plus the chameleon's, the boy doesn't look very comfortable.

"Not like I'm scared, it's just that, the idea of bashing your head against bricks isn't very appealing, not like i'm saying you're weird... Hi Rapunzel."

"Hiii Hiccup!" she said, recognizing the boy. What a creative name. "Mother, this is Hiccup. Hiccup, my mother. I met him at Madame Malkin's."

Hiccup smiled. It isn't hard to forget a girl with 40ft of hair.

"Why are you alone, my dear boy?" asked her mother sweetly.

"Oh my dad doesn't like busy and developed places so I just left him on the boat, but I have no idea where to board 9&3/4 but then I recognised Rapunzel thank god."

Rapunzel laughed. "Well it isn't that bad, entering the boarding platform. I exaggerate a lot. Basically, you step though or lean though the wall; it won't hurt, I swear. At least that's what my mother told me."

"Yes, and momma knows best," declared Gothel in a sing-song voice.

"And the normal people just wouldn't happen to see you disappear through the wall of magic portal? Did Ottaline Gambol not think of that when he got a train to serve as the new way of transport for Hogwarts students?"

"Someone did their homework!" said Rapunzel, impressed.

"Well I had a lot of alone time for reading, so I know most of our textbooks and _Hogwarts: A History_ like the back of my helmet."

"But it's not a magic portal, the wall is only an illusion on top of a sound barrier," added Mother Gothel. "Hiccup, why don't Punzie and I go first, so you can see how it's done? I promise you'll find us on the other side."

Without waiting for a reply, Gothel steered Rapunzel by the shoulders and pushed her and the trolley into the wall. A passerby cut across Hiccup's vision and when he craned his neck to see past the stranger, they were gone. _Oh my god I'm on my own_, Hiccup thought. Reading about how to board the train was alot easier than doing iit. He gathered a few panicky breaths. _Okay come on. I can all the way here on a month's sea voyage. Come on._

Then he ran towards the wall with his trolley, holding his backpack strap for dear life. At the last second, he squeezed his eyes shut; amidst his blindness, he tripped over his left feet and tumbled to the ground.

Groaning and rubbing his scratched chin, he opened his eyes at — not the polished floor of the train station, but a much worn and dirtier one. This secret base is loud and crowded by people—magical people—scrambling here and there, with steam from the trains hanging heavily overhead.

_Where is Rapunzel?_ He started to look for his first friend, but was distracted by a commotion to his left.

And the commotion looked amusing. A crazy girl was trying to fight a boy, while getting held back by set of three tiny boys and a giant man, much like his dad, especially the physique and the red hair. The boy, or victim, turned out to be weird when you look closely enough. Weirder than his village folk, even, moving with inhumane grace with pure silver hair and a... staff? Are staffs allowed? His wand is normal; 11 2/3", oak, pheonix core.

And the squabble was getting quite dangerous too. The boy was using his... staff? stick? sword? to deflect punches and shot jets of white magic at her feet.

As Hiccup neared, he could hear better.

"Say that again shorty?" said the girl with a thick Scottish accent.

"Does yo' hair cushion' yaself when yo're bumpin' e'veryone?" said the white-haired guy, mocking her accent.

"Ya bumped into me firs'!"

"Nah, you just didn't see me through that mane of yours," said the boy, still smirking.

"_Aurghh you brat!_" the girl said as she jerked out of her dad's grip and flung herself towards the boy. Oh man. Hiccup took this as a cue to do something: he stepped in front of the girl with the dragon temper, held up his hand like a shield and, expecting a punch, closed his eyes.

His hand was so close to her face it touched her nose. Somehow, that soothed her down.

"Le—let's all just un-stress ourselves for now," he said. "You—You're both first-years right? You don't want to get in trouble before you even get to school right? Maybe?"

"Well I think we'll take our leave now, right?" Then he grabbed the silver lad by his arms and ran away with his tail between his legs from Merida.

She noticed the crowd looking at her like a grenade.

"Don't ya have a train to ge' to?" she asked thunderously to them. They disparted, seeing the show's over. _I needa get on the train myself too, _she thought. It had been a quarter to 11 earlier; now she only had 5. The compartments had to be half full by now.

She said her byes and I'll-write-you's to her family and went in the train while the triplets threw a fit on wanting to go too, as they did the whole summer. Wheeling her luggage on the floor behind her, she found an empty compartment at the end of the train.

She stowed away her trunk and settled down for a few moments, thinking about nothing at all. Suddenly, it felt a little lonely without the constant buzz of the village. She considered briefly finding the unbearable trio her mother has been so persistent of making friends with: McGuffin, Macintosh, and Dingwall, who have all gotten their letter.

The compartment door suddenly slipped open. "Excuse me, have you seen a chameleon? I lost him," said a girl.

"Nah sorry, I haven't."

"Thank you. And— by any chance, have you come across a nervous boy would talks really fast, called Hiccup?"

Merida didn't bother to stifle her snort at the name. "No I —" Merida's train of thought was cut off as her jaw dropped. "Is that yo' real hair? It's gotta be 'bout 40 ft long!"

"Yes actually, you're pretty accurate. And it's just gonna grow longer as time passes. I love your hair though, it's the exact colour I want." She just complimented her hair. Wow. Merida decided to like this girl from that moment on. "I'm a first year, by the way. Name's Rapunzel."

"Hello, me too, I mean I'm first year, but my name is Merida Dun— _Woah!_" She yelped as the girl — Rapunzel— lept forward.

"Gotcha!" She grabbed something near Merida's shoulder and was looking at something between her hands. Merida peered at what's-her-face's palm and saw that it was a chameleon, blended into the pattern of the chair. "Found him! Pascal, Merida. Merida, this is my friend Pascal."

Rapunzel looked at Merida expectantly through a moment of silence. "Oh, ya want me to say hi to him. Uh, hi Pascal?" Rapunzel then nudged at Pascal, expecting him to say it back. It was all very bizarre.

"Listen, uh, Rapuddle? Why don' ya sit here? Unless you've already got a compartment o' course," asked Merida.

"Of course I will sit here! That would help a lot. Just let me get my luggage." She gripped her long blond hair and pulled on it like a tug-o-war. Moments later, a bag appeared, dragged along on the floor with her hair tied on its handle.

Merida let out a single loud, un-lady-like bark of laughter. "Man I wish mine could do that! All does is hide my quills and stuff."

"I'm sure it's more than that. You don't even need pillows, for example." The whistle of the train then sounded, followed by Merida's mother's shout coming from the window.

"Hold on," Merida said. "_Whaaatt!_" She yelled out the window. Rapunzel came to look.

It was her family—those triplets were asleep in their arms—waving at her.

"Merida, the train is parting! Be good! If I hear you're not acting like a lady in school you'll be in big trouble! Like if you blow up a toilet or something!"

"I've never blown up a toilet!" Merida said as Rapunzel cracked up beside her. "Good idea though, thanks mom!" Rapunzel said bye to a hooded woman at the back, and the two girls waved towards the platform until it's out of sight.

As Merida sat back down, Rapunzel spoke up beside her. "You family seems so fun and warm."

"Don't get your hopes up, they're both loud and restricting at the same—" the compartment door slipped open.

"Rapunzel, do you mind if I sit here?" said a male voice.

"Not at all, Hiccup." Then a boy moved into view. To be exact, _the_ boy who broke up her fight. _Hiccup?!_ Merida thought.

Then he saw Merida. "Um, actually, I don't think it'll be a good idea," Hiccup said as politely as possible. Another boy stepped into view as he said the last word. It was the silver head of rude.

"It's okay," said Rapunzel to the pale boy. "Don't be shy."

"It's not that. I just think your friend might disapprove," the boy said with a smirk on his face.

"Well, at least Hiccup can sit with us," replied Merida.

Rapunzel smiled. "Exactly. And I know Merida isn't the type to exclude Hiccup's friends either. So come and sit, okay?"

Jack laughed as Merida protested without anyone taking notice, and sat across from the nice girl—did Hiccup call her Rapretzel?—while his friend took the seat beside him. "By the way, been wondering. Why is your hair longer than Canadian winters?" He laughed at his joke.

"Why is your wand a cheap tree branch," the gingerpuff immediately retorted.

"I was talking to the pretty lady." The 'pretty lady' blushed beet red, making him smirk again.

Hiccup made a grossed out face at him. Right. _We're all 11 year olds here,_ Jack reminded himself. _Girls still have cooties remember?_ Plus, he quite liked Hiccup, talking to him after escaping gingerpuff; he remind him of Jamie.

"Well firstly, not all of us know everyone's names," Hiccup said. After a round of polite exchanges, there was a flurry of questions towards each other's differences like Does-your-hair-grow-outwards-instead-of-down and Are-you-an-albino and Why-is-your-lizard-glaring-at-me-over-your-shoulder. After all that, they talked about their house of choice, something all of them had in common.

"Well Griffindor's my firs' choice; it's where all the fun are," announced Merida confidently.

"Yeah, I'd like to get into Griffindor too, my dad expects me to at least," agreed Hiccup.

"Don't seem ya'll make it though, ya look a lil' weedy," said Merida, without filter.

Jack scowled at her. He didn't know much about houses but that didn't sound very nice—

"I mean not that ya ain't brave, ya stepped between me and him, 'n I make sure I'm scary when I'm mad," she quickly took back what she said, cursing her straight forward tongue.

Hiccup smiled at the apology/compliment, glad to finally get some brave Viking points going.

Chuckling, Rapunzel said, "Well no matter what, I hope we all get in the same house."

"No way," chorused the rest of them. Then all of them laughed at their synchronization.

You can imagine the rest of the ride was full of laughter as well.

All aboard.


	3. Chapter 3- The Hogwarts Hatters

**A/N:**

**None of my 'OC's are actually original. All of them were supporting or main characters from other fictional universes. If you want to know more about them, just search up their name or nickname.**

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE****  
**

[Same day]

*Ahem*

"And as you see this frayed hat sit

His condition doesn't seem very fit

But you must know that this old hat

Is actually an ancient artifact

Created by the Four Founder

And my description could not be simpler:

Grffindor,

Whose courage than the others are more,

Raveclaw,

Whose brains and wits put you in awe,

Hufflepuff,

Whose loyalty and kindness is not a bluff,

Slytherin,

Whose cunning and ambition is not a sin.

No matter which house you belong in,

It always brings me the grin,

For after the founder's demise,

They left it for me to decide.

Living through the centuries,

It is again the time for inter-house harmonies.

So put me on, the Sorting Hat,

I'll shift through your mind (but don't worry)

You'll have a blast!"

Minerva McGonagall clapped along with the entire hall as the hat's song ended. Then, like the yearly routine, she stepped in front of the line of first years and said, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

The students' nerves visibly calmed. What did they expect, trolls? A duel? Dragons? Not while she's headmistress. Minerva cleared her throat.

"Dingwall, Wee!" He went in Hufflepuff, and then—

"Dunbroch, Merida!"

_I gave them time to fix themselves up before coming in, yet they don't even bother to tie their hair up_, though Minerva, as a girl with crazy hair bounded past. The hat barely touched her head before shouting "GRIFFINDOR!" and the girl ran to her table while slapping high-fives from seniors as hard as she could.

Minerva went through a few more names before a boy caught her eye. Jack Overland bleached his hair, carried a cane, and strolled up to the stool lazily. Her troublemaker alarm went off instantaneously. This boy, slouching in the stool with the hat on his head, reminded her of another boy a long time ago, with a name hinting "serious" but was nothing like that. Overland walked towards the Slytherin table with a cool grace.

Two Harringtons were both sorted into Slytherin, and then came a boy that she pitied greatly. The sight of him soaked from head to toe from falling in the lake, seemed to squeeze her heart. The sight Hiccup Haddock conjured up an image of two of Minerva's old students, Dennis, crying beside his older brother's dead body.

The hat declared,"HUFFLEPUFF!" and as Haddock sat down, one of its prefects came up to him for a drying spell. Minerva made a note to award the prefect house points later on, and maybe advise a Pepperup Potion for the boy.

MacGuffin in Hufflepuff, Macintosh in Slytherin, Peep and Perr in Ravenclaw, then there's—does this student not have a last name? Has the house elves missed writing it? She oughta raise their salary a bit, that'll teach them.

"Rapunzel!"

A girl with long hair stepped up. Then Minerva realized the hair had no end. The students still in line jumped around to avoid stepping on the golden strands. How outrageous! To be so obsessed with hair, that you never cut it? At least keep it manageable, such as how Minerva always puts hers in a bun! How ridiculous, she'll never be able to focus on learning that way!

Minerva decided to save her scolding to a later time obviously, and Rapunzel got sorted into Ravenclaw without interruptions. After the last students were done, Minerva gave the hat to Mr. Longbottom to put back in her office.

"Speeches will begin after the feast. Enjoy," she declared, carrying on Albus' rule of eating-comes-first.

The golden dishes appeared at once, as delicious as when she was a first year a long time ago. Beside her, the teachers were buzzing about the hat's song, about 'being Slytherin is not a sin.' Seems like it has noticed too, about the Slytherins being bullied. Minerva told the head of houses to make sure to duct points if ever seen their students bullying them. She can't stress how important it is for them to not favour their own house.

As she was talking to the new Quidditch teacher, she kept on seeing the same four students glancing at each other. There no denying it: what strange first years there are this year!

Perhaps those four students are the beginning of the first group of friends that includes all houses. The hat did say "It is again time for inter-house harmonies." The old Transfiguration teacher was suddenly glad she was still alive, or she wouldn't be able to see this phenomenon that happened for the first time in forever. She needs to make sure inter-house rivalry doesn't break them apart.

She tried not to let the staff hear her chuckle as she watched the crazy haired girl stick out her tongue at the pale boy.

She tried not to let her horror show when the pretty girl blushed at the pale boy's wink in her direction.

She tried not to let students see her smile when the pretty girl gave the soaked boy a thumbs up at the food.

She tried not to let herself raise her eyebrows as the crazy girl shyly ducked down when the soaked boy looked her way.

This would be a handful of a year, thought Minerva, while chewing small bites. At least my last years until 'my time' are interesting.

* * *

Jack stared at the plates of food in front of him. He hasn't eaten a real meal since like what—Armstrong's journey to the moon (which was 1969 for those that aren't good at History), and now there's mountains of food suitable enough for Le Roi Soleil. If everyday meals were like this, he'd probably just ditch Guardian work and live here instead.

Should he eat the Filet Mignon first or the Caramelized Lobster? Or maybe he should fill himself up first, and start on the lasagna and roasted lamb? Instead, he settled with examining the golden fork.

Jack then felt a prickle at the back of his neck. Someone was looking at him. Once he put the sparkling utensil down, he felt many eyes on him. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but he sorta liked being in the centre of attention.

He looked up to the whole table staring at him.

"Whatssup," he deadpanned.

He was answered by a ringing silence.

A boy with short brown hair across from Jack snapped finally out of it. "Hi, yeah, sorry about being so surprised, we just didn't expect such a, um, human response."

"I see," he said, slightly amused. And I thought I looked the most natural out of the Guardians. "Well what creature did you think I was?"

"Well maybe a Winter Spirit?" said a girl with fierce eyes, to the left of the boy.

Jack laughed loudly. Seconds later the table joined in hesitantly.

"That was some good joke." _That was some good acting skills_, Jack added in his head. "My name is Jack Overland, yours?"

"Eugene Fitzherbert," said the boy.

"Colette Tatou," said the girl. "You'll enjoy the food here, firstie. Isn't it just such high cuisine?"

"I agree 100% on that."

Then Colette took a bite and added to herself whilst closing her eyes, "Hmm, this Filet Mignon is good... but needs a little... saffron..."

"Don't mind her, she wants to be a chef like her idol Gusteau." Eugene rolled his eyes at her. "We're 3rd years, by the way."

"Next to meet you. Anything else I need to know about school weirdos?"

"Well, aside that I'm hot 'n' dangerous, no." They laughed. "I know we'll be good friends, Overland. Both hilarious badboys—and it feels like you're my age or older."

Jack shrugged and smirked. "I've been told that a lot."

And the rest of the meal passed in laughter and more introductions until—

"DESSERT!"

* * *

Hiccup's eyes lit up as a whole landscape of patisseries and sweets replaced the delicious main courses. He looked over at Rapunzel's seat, expecting another thumbs up.

Instead, she was watching her pet with caution as it—or he—navigated through the land of sweets. He climbed on to one of the canes and fell into the syrup below. The girls beside her groaned. Hiccup could catch bits of a sentence as she apologized.

"...really sorry...usually has manners...the doubled striped canes break..."

Hiccup smiled at her nervous excuses, but then sorrow overtook him. He wanted to be laughing with her, one of his only friends. He looked to the Slytherin table. Jack seemed to be entertaining the whole table with a fairy tale as he voiced all the characters in exaggerated tones. At Merida's table, her face was stuffed with treacle tart while hogging mountains of dessert on her plate before it disappears.

He reached out for a treacle tart.

"No! How about a snow cone instead?" said a booming voice behind him.

Hiccup jumped five feet high and whipped around mid-air. He screamed. Not literally, of course.

"Woah woah, you okay there? No need to be that jumpy," said the 10-feet tall monster. Okay, maybe just a 7 feet tall hairy guy, but an abominable snowman is what he looked like.

"I'm the prefect who dried you up, remember? A thank you would be nice." The man squeezed in the empty spot beside him, and handed a snow cone to him from a tray that looked tiny in his hands. "It's my job to make the first years feel welcome."

"Th-thanks," stammered Hiccup. "M-may I please ask your name?"

"Of course you can, Hiccup! It's Panteleimo-yeti-novich Krestovozdvizhensky. But you can call me Yeti for short."

"I will, th-thanks."

"And you see those lads over there? Name's Wee Dingwall and Wee MacGuffin. They're gonna be dorm-mates with you, so it'll be best if you made friends with him now." He was pointing towards two stupid looking guys diagonal to Hiccup.

"Th-thanks for the advice, um, Yeti." Hiccup seemed to be doing nothing but thanking him. But boy he made Hiccup nervous.

"I make you nervous, don't I?" he said, reading his mind. "You'll get used to me soon though, I'm as cute as a button. Here, I'll just sit back to where I was and you can talk normally to the boyz, aiight?" Yeti popped out of the tight row of students and walked towards his end of the table, where his prefect counterpart sat.

"No wait, I'm s-sorry, I didn't..." Hiccup trailed off quietly, without Yeti hearing a word. Hiccup felt horrible. He didn't mean it like that. All his chances of making friends was just tossed out the window. He looked down at his melting snowcone, and even the dripping snow looked sad.

"Hey, if you're not having that, I'll take it," said a nasal and annoying voice. Hiccup looked up. It was Wee Dingwall. Hiccup held out the snow cone, not feeling hungry anymore.

"Thanks." And right then, McGonagall called the students to their attention. _Guess making friends would be an achievement of another day_, he thought sullenly.

* * *

Merida tried not to shift too much in her seat as the old lady droned on and on with her speech. Boy, the McGonagall lady sure reminded Merida of her mother. Strict and by the way they hold themselves— wouldn't be surprised if they were long lost sisters.

Merida let her imagination run wild as she constructed a full length drama about the headmistress running away from her queen duties during her coronation day to protect her little sis from her magical powers while her younger sister—

"That's a horrible story," whispered someone.

Merida realized she had been thinking out loud. But nevermind that. Did someone just insult her masterpiece?

"Yer face is horrible," she retorted quietly.

She heard a tiny gasp. "Me? No way. You haven't looked at me properly yet. I am the ladies' man."

Merida looked away from McGonagall to glance at the boy behind him. He was a Latin boy with cat eyes.

"Ew," she said, and fixed her eyes on McGonagall again.

"You're kidding. Look at my adorable face. You have nice eyes though, if you'd stop using them with such malice."

"Stop talkin' to me," whispered Merida. Although he hasn't insulted her, he's just rubbed her the wrong way.

"I have a name you know. Leonardo Boot. You can just call me Leo."

"Sounds like y're some kinda cat."

"It does, doesn't it? I think it suits my feline nature."

"Ew." Merida was reminded of another arrogant moron she met today. Maybe that's why she's ticked off.

"Hey feisty pants, are you really that interested in what dear McGonagall is saying?"

McGonagall was giving her ending words now; Leo put an arm around Merida's shoulder. McGonagall finished her speech; Merida looked up and saw Hiccup looking at them. McGonagall sat down and the grand hall clapped; Merida didn't. She punched Leo in the face.

"Puss fits you more," Merida said to him, as people everywhere tried to get a look at Leo's condition after a second of stunned silence.

Immediately, a prefect helped Leo to his feet. Another woman whisked her out of the grand doors before the teachers could reach her. Merida was being dragged up the stairs to the Griffindor dorms when the woman spoke.

"Why did you get so mad, young lady?" she said. The stranger had cropped platinum bobbed hair. She also looked like she goes to the gym two times a day.

Because he embarrased me in front of Hiccup. "'Cause he was being annoying."

"You wouldn't know because you're a first year but, he flirts with anything that wears a skirt."

"Don't make him any less annoying," mumbled Merida.

The older girl sighed. "I used to be quite the dynamite gal, like you. Anger is aimed at anything pesky, right? And Leo is such a bug. But, violence is only used when it's unavoidable to your safety. And he's not a threat necessarily to you."

_Wow_, Merida thought. _Is she not mad?_

"Well here we are." She stood in front of a portrait of a fat lady. Merida knew it was the entrance to the Griffindor dorm from her father's stories. "I know scolding you for beating him up won't help until you actually grow out of it. But pretend that I took points to the others alright? But it was a nice punch by the way."

_Wow_, Merida thought. _She's on my side. Cool!_

"Urhm, what's y're name?" asked Merida.

"Calhoun. Head Girl. Come to me for any assistance." And with that she _swished_ away.

_Wow_, Merida thought. _I'm gonna be just like her!_

* * *

Rapunzel was stunned by Merida's punch all the way to the her dorm. Had she not met the girl earlier, she would've thought as Merida as a ruffian or a thug, like the ones her mother told her about. But she did meet her and she knew, the upset girl had her reasons.

And plus the boy was okay, with the McGonagall fixing him up with just one spell, with the sniffles as the only after-effect. Rapunzel volunteered to bring the poor boy his food up to the hospital wing so he can finish there. Then she proceeded to the Ravenclaw tower by herself, with the healer's (P. Sherman) instructions. Walking in the big empty hallway gave her a chance to appreciate the beauty of this palace with undivided attention and she noticed every ceiling painting and every elaborate carving.

She thought back at what she learnt about Hogwarts during the speech, but found herself remembering the speaker instead. McGonagall sure reminded Rapunzel of her mother. The strictness and the way they held themselves.

She arrived at the top of the spiral staircase and was greeted by, what she assumed, the door to the common room. But there was no door knob, let alone a keyhole. Instead, there was a big ring knocker, with eagle decorations on it. She reached for the ring—

"I moan—"

The scream from Rapunzel cut the voice off. She looked around for the source of the voice and backed into the staircase when she saw no one. She was already jumping down the stairs when the voice started again. This time, she stopped to listen.

"I moan, I groan, I chase after you. I never seem to rest, Time's up for you. What am I?"

"Wait, was that a question for me?" she said very loudly to whoever's there, to cover up the sound of her heartbeat.

The riddle was repeated again, and this time Rapunzel heard it was an unemotional, intelligential sounding voice. She headed back and stood in front of the door.

"Were you the one talking?" asked Rapunzel to the eagle on the doorknob. After all it's not impossible.

The riddle was repeated again. Rapunzel thought about the riddle seriously. Chasing... never resting... time...

"Death?"

Ringing silence answer her, and the riddle was repeated once again.

"Of course, death doesn't moan and groan..." she reminded herself. Nightmares? Maddness? Thinking about this made her hair stand up. Oh! I got it!

"Your children?" Rapunzel laughed at the cuteness of the answer.

The door swung open. The airy room before her seemed to promise her a life of... of the life that finally began. It was shaped like her tower, but it's full of the feeling of 'openess' and 'freeness.' It was surrounded by 4' tall, arched windows than can look out to the lake, the pitch, and a bunch of other sights to behold. She took note of a huge statue of a woman between two small staircases, the royal blue carpet, and the ceiling of charmed stars.

"Um do you need help?" said a quiet voice.

Rapunzel jumped. This is a second time an unknown voice had scared her, only difference is this time she could locate the speaker.

"Woah I didn't see you," gasped Rapunzel.

"Well, I'm often invisible to people, I almost consider it a super power." The voice belonged to a girl, with a thin frame with drapy and long black hair that covered half her face. "Are you lost? A first year?"

"Yeah," said Rapunzel sheepishly.

"Same. You can come with me. Right over here."

While they made their way upstairs, Rapunzel learnt her name—Violet Perr—and they soon stopped at a door. Chattering could be heard inside.

Taking a breath, Rapunzel mentally prepared herself to meet her dorm mates and burst into the room exclaiming "HellomynameisRapunzel" fast and nervously.

The two girls inside stared at the sudden new face before one of them recovered.

"My name is Bobbie-Ann Peep, just call me Bo. My family thought it would be funny to name me after a fictional shepherdess just because their last name is Peep," said the dainty girl in pink. She paused to examine the girl rooted in front of the door. "And all that hair? I wanted to ask you about it but then the brawl happened after the speech, so I lost my chance, but... Do you think you'll let me braid it later? Please?"

Rapunzel was overwhelmed by her lung capacity as she said this in one breath. She smiled at her, as some hyper mood is always good.

"Of course you can."

"Aw, Rapunzel, you're so sweet! I've always wanted a sister like you."


End file.
